Why I Use #Vintage in my #Mysteries by Karen Rose Smith

My dining room suggests the past.  My mom's dining room suite brings back so many memories--from the needlepoint coverings that she worked on the chairs to the scented candle she kept in the china hutch.  My grandmother's wedding photo deepens the past charm.  Rose petals in a lead crystal dish decorate the secretary.

Years ago, I didn't have an appreciation for antiques...or maybe even the past.  But when you lose loved ones, I think that changes.  Somehow that universal sense of missing as we grow older is eased by having "vintage" around us.  For many women especially, "vintage" has enduring appeal.  If the style has lasted, it becomes classic.  I believe vintage and classic speak to those deep-down feelings inside of us.  That's why I use it in my mysteries.

My sleuth Caprice De Luca is a modern woman in many ways.  But at thirty-two, she has a deep appreciation of her Nana and her mom's history, the time periods in which they grew up, the music, fashions and furniture that carry memories for them as well as for her.  Retro intrigues her and the fun for me is delving into the past to find fashions she wears and furnishings for her 1950's style Cape Cod house.

This series encompasses three generations of women.  The research, memories, and intricacies of writing with all of them in mind gives this series the unique quality I crave when I write.  I hope you think so, too!

Read Karen's new mystery. Her sleuth, Caprice De Luca, loves to cook and is an animal lover too!

STAGED TO DEATH on Amazon

STAGED TO DEATH on Barnes and Noble

©2014 Karen Rose Smith

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